Holidays and special occasions are plentiful, and we all know how much is sucks when people send us gifts that we don’t really want. Wouldn’t it be great if there was a simple way to create a wish list of all the gifts that you want and be able to easily share it with all of your friends and family? Well we believe that we have found the best four apps for doing exactly this, and the great news is that they’re all free!
Wishlistr
The first app that caught our attention in our search across the web is Wishlistr. The great thing about this app is that it allows users to conveniently organize each item in a suitable template for specific occasions such as birthdays, weddings and holidays. Wishlistr is a web-based app that lets you collect items to your wish list from anywhere on the web with the click of a single button.
After you’ve made your selections and organized them into their respected groups, you can then share your wish lists with all of your friends and family by publishing it to your website or blog. Wishlistr is also completely free and has an easy registration process. The thing I liked most about Wishlistr is its simplicity. It may not have some of the features that the following applications have, but it’s definitely one of the simpler apps to use.
WishBooklet
Our next app for gifting that’s easy, simple and quick is WishBooklet. WishBooklet provides its users with the ability to effortlessly share your wish lists with your friends and family. If they choose to support you, it then allows them to purchase the gift for you, or become part of your crowdfunding campaign and have multiple people pitch in to get the gift for you. WishBooklet is the only app on the list with a crowdfunding option.
The WishBooklet process starts out with you being able to add specific items that you wish to have from any online store through the use of their Wish It Bookmarklet. Once your wish list is created, you can then share it with your friends, family or whoever you think might want to pitch in for your gifts. Sharing can take place on social networking site such as Facebook, Twitter or sent through email. Another great thing about WishBooklet is that you get a handy progress bar to help you keep track of exactly how close you are to reaching your goals, and who has donated thus far.
iWishfor
Our next recommended app that will help you get the gifts you really want is iWishfor. Much like WishBooklet, this app helps you save and share gift ideas with your friends and family using a wish list. The biggest difference between iWishfor and WishBooklet is the method of finding gifts. With this app you have to actually go out and fill your wish list inventory by scanning the barcodes or taking pictures of the items you want. It’s pretty fun to do if you have some time to kill, but being able to shop online is much easier and requires less effort.
After you find something you like, you can then add a few quick notes or some short information about the product. Another thing that we kind of dislike about iWishfor is that in order to share your wish lists with your friends and family, you have to first invite them to join iWishfor and then direct them to a specific list. Crowdfunding with partial donations also isn’t an option, but the great thing is that it’s available for use with both Android and iPhone smart phones. iWishfor is our only mobile application on the list.
Giftery.me
If you’ve read all of that and still haven’t found a wish list app, then hopefully this last one will spark your interest. Giftery.me is a universal gift registry that allows users to pick and share anything they want for any event. It works by letting the user search through a large library of products from top retailers and local boutiques.
As with other apps like WishBooklet, you can add a bookmarklet to your browser and add items using a single click. After you’ve filled your wish list, then you can post it to your social network accounts or share it directly through email.
It’s not as convenient as WishBooklet because there are no crowdfunding options, but it still provides a great interface that shows one big list with specific purchasing options. You can also send a quick “thank you note” as a way of showing your gratitude to the person who bought you a gift.
Photo Credit: Flickr/Corey Balazowich
